Current conducting and distributing device for internal-combustion engines.



, F. A. ZIKA. CURRENT OONDGTING AND DISTRIBUTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINES.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1913. 1 1 05,74 1

Patented Aug.4,1914L UNITED sTATEs PnTEnT oEEIoE.

FRANK A. ZIKA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAJVIES E..BARRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CURRENT CONDUCTING AND DISTRIBUTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. Zum, a subject of Aiistria-Hungary, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful In'iprovcments in Current Conducting and Distributing Devices for Internal- Combustion Engines, o f which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to current conducting andl distributing devices for internal combustion engines.

Heretofore the commor I may say universal practice has been to separately connect the spark plugs of such engines with the current distributers by numerous wires, corresponding in size with the slight current to be carried by them, and which are therefore so simili that they are frequently broken by the constant vibration produced by the operation of the engine, which effect finally crystallizes the copper of their structure thereby increasing their tendency to break. The rubber covering of the wires is deleteriously effected by corrosionvfrom exposure to oil, and loss of insulation causing short circuiting by water, which Wires being as they are, more or lessover burdened with a heavy coating of insulation, frequently break, or are short circuited by water without there being any visible exterior signs to indicate where the trouble is, whether. a short circuit or a break, and if a .break where it is located, and as a result of which this numerousI wire connection is entirely unreliable and unsatisfactory,

The prime object of this invention is the production of a means by which it is for the first time made possible and practical to con-` fin/l nect the spark plugs of internal combustion engines with the distributer, however many there may be, and in the entire absence of the use of numerous, delicate wires, and of any wire which can possibly be subject to any of the conditions and objections `above specilied. -I4`urthern1ore to accomplish the above object by ineans of a fixed structure hereinafter specifically described as such, as distinguished from a rotatable structure de.n -scribed in another 'application filed concurrently herewith.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 9, 1913 Patented Au". et, 1914- seriai No. 772,587.

means upon the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine in proper relation with its spark plugs thereof, (there being a sepirate conductor for each spark plug) and. to electrically energize, or charge said cond`uc tors in sequential order by means adapted to be moved in proper unison and relation with the respective reciprocating pistons of .said engine. li`urner-more to provide means for changing the coincident relation of the energizinff means'with the respective movements of said pistons by oscillating said vconductors, thereby to advance and retard the time of producing the ignition sparks within the cylinders of said engine.

Other and further objects of my invention will become readily apparent to persons skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein Figure l is an elevation of a portion of an automobile, showing an engine mounted thereto as means for propelling the vehicle and showing my device located upon the engine and adapted to be operated therewith. Fig. '2 is the central section taken on line 2---2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line of Fig. l. Fig. et is an end view of thc device. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

In a co-pending application, executed and filed of even date herewith, I have shown a similar device to the one disclosed in this application with the exception that in the before mentioned application the conducting and distributing structure is bodily rotatable and a single conductor is employed to distribute the spark current to the respective spark plugs of the engine, while in the present application there are a plurality ofrelatively stationary conduct-ors, one for each spark plug, and a separate rotating device employed for distributing the current to the respective conductors in order that the spark plugs may be properly supplied wit-h suiiicient current-energy to produce the ignition sparks.

In the particular embodiment herein dis-- closed l0 is a side frame of an automobile;

ll is an internal combustion engine: il 'is the head of theengine; 12 is the magnetoelectrlc machine for producing high poten tial current; 13 i's a radiator for cooling the .water of the engine; 14 is the hood coverin the engine and parts; 15 is a Hy wheel of the engine; 16 is the steering tube for supporting the steering wheel that is connected to4 the runningxgear of the yehicle, 17, 18, 1f) and 20`a're the spark plugs for the respective cylinders of the engine. So far as described the parts named 'are/'generally common in automobile structures.

21 is my improved current conductor and distributing element. The body part may vbe composed of a single pieceof hard rubber, as shown, or of any other`suitable material rhaving the qualities and capability of insulatinghio'h potential currents. It ma or may not, be surrounded with a metallic protecting jacket, such as shown in my copending application. In the present specific structure the protecting jacket is omitted and a solid-rod 0r cylinder of hard rubber, or of gutta pcrcha Iis shown. It is supported at its respective ends. by means of brackets 22 and 23, each comprising an ad'- justable strap 24 secured to the ,cleats 25, and to the head of theengine. The strap 24 is secured to the cleats 25 by means of screws '26. The straps 24 are not so tight as to prevent slight rotation or oscillation, of the member 21 when required.

Secured to the right hand end of the member 21, is a metal cap 27, to provide a housing or casing for the current distributing device. Conductors 28, 29, ...O and 31 are embedded in the rubber body portion 21 of the distributing member and terminate in a single longitudinal and radial plane in eyes or terminals 32, 33, 34, 35, respectively. These terminals are connected to the spark plugs lby means of a telescopic, elougatable conductor consisting of the rod 37 secured to the plug by a clip 30 to which it is pivoted, and which is held in place by a cap screw 39. Freely movableover and in contact with the rod 37- is a tube 40, terminating in a pivotal end 41 which is connected to the eye 35, so 4that when the member 21 is slightly rotated, or oscillated, the distance between the eye and the respective spark plug is thereby cl'iaugtal. the telescopic relation of the parts described being adapted to compensate for such changed distance. To thoroughly insulate this connection I prefer to cover it with a hard rubber jacket 42. .Each of the conductors, connecting the respective spark plugs and high potential terminals, are made in the manner described.

Each of the embedded conductors in the member 21, terminates at the right hand end in substantially Hushy relation for cooperative operation with the distributing and rotating conducting arm 43. This arm 43, is held -iirmly on a gear wheel 44, as byan insulating block, or plate, 45. The gear' wheel 44 has ball bearing supportson the magneto 12 as by ball bearings 46. The gear wheel 44 is rotated by means of the spur 0fear 47 which is secured to the armature shaft of the magneto and which in turn is rotated through the instrumentality of a pair of bevel gears 48 and 49 by the shaft 50, said gears being connected by any suitable means, with the valve shaft, or with the main shaft, of the engine, and the geared relation is such that the distributor 43 shall rotate in proper unison with the reciprocation of the respective pistons.

The rotating distributer 43 terminates, as

at 51, forelectric contact relation with the v bell crank arm 52 that is pivoted to a shaft 53 that extends on the outside of the magneto l2, for connection with a crank arm 54.

An electric conductor 55` passes through the center of the member 21 and terminatesat the left hand and in an enlarged end and at the other end is in electrical association with the rotatable distributer 43.

An electric conductin wire 57 connects the bell crank arm 52 with the high potential circuit of the magneto, so that when the bell crank arm 52 is moved into the position shown in Fig. 1, whereby the end thereofv makes contact with the end 51 of the distributer 43, the current from the magneto is distributed through the conductors, 28, 29, 30 and 31, and is imparted to the one over which the distributer 43 may at the time be, andthereby the distributer directs the current into the said conductors in their regular consecutive order in unison with the vibratin of the respective pistons.

Connected to the crank arm 54 is the link 58, preferably of hard rubber, or the like, which is pivotally connected, as at 59, to a reciprocatable rod 60, said rod finding bear ingsvin the brackets 61, 62 and 63. Then the rod is moved in direction toward the magnetothe arm 52 will be brought into contact with the end of the distributer 51 and when the rod is moved in the opposite direction contact will be broken between the bell crank arm 52 and the end 51 of the distributer.

A battery B is adapted for producing sparks suitable for the spark plugs through the instrumentality of the spark coil which may be located in the boXor casing 64, the general operation and arrangement of which is clearly described and shown indetailin my co-pending application to which. refer ence has heretofore been made. A handle 65 on the box 64 operates the reciprocatable rod 60 by the instrumentality of a, preferably, insulating link 66 which is connected be'- tween the handle 65 and the rod 60, so that when the handle 65 is moved in direction towardthe magneto the connection will be made between the magneto and the distributing device, and when the handle 65 is moved in the op osite direction said connection will be bro en and connection will be established between the central conductor 35, and the cnstributer 43, and the respective conductbrs, in the distril'uiting membeiQQ, and

' the said conductois will then be energized by the battery yB through the instrumentality of the spark coil heretofore described.

When the handle 65, of the box 64, is moved to the left, the reciprocatable conductor (58 is withdrawn and no longer makes contact with the terminal 56 of the central conductor 53, and therefore circuit between the secondary winding of the spark coil is thereby broken, and when the rod 60 is moved to the right, coincidently the circuit from the magneto to the said conductors, in the member 21 is effected, so that either of the two sources of electric energy may be employed for producing the necessary current to vitalize the spark plugs.

The member-2l is slightly rotatable, or oscillatable, for the purpose of changing the lead, of the spark-time, so that the contacts afforded by the projecting ends of the respective condiictois in the casing 27 occupy different circumferential positions, thereby to retard or advance the time 'that the spark is to be made in the respective cylinders with reference to the reciprocations of the pistons. To this end I provide a projecting arm 70 pivotally connected to a link 71, as at 72, andto an arm 73 that is pivoted in the bracket G2 as b the shaft `74. On the other end ofthe sha t 74 is a similar arm Z5 connected by ball and socket support to a link 7 6 that 1s similarly connected to. an arm 77 which is responsive to the spark retarding lever carried on the steering wheel of the vehicle, so that when the spark retarding lever is moved, in the manner usual with such de vices, the distributing member 2l is thereby oscillated for changing the spark-time relation of the pistons.

Other specifiemeans than those shown may be employed for carrying my invention into efl'eet without 'departing from the spirit a nd within the scope of the appended claims.

As an illustration of this statement the high' n induction coil withtlie respective distributing conductors for the purpose intended.

Having described my invention what I 'claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the LTnited States is:

1. A device for the purposes described comprising in combination an engine having a plurality of cylinders and corresponding spark.. plugs, a relatively fixed conductor support-ing member thereon, a plurality of conductors confined therein. terminating at one end thereof, having their inner ends connected to the' spark plugs, respectively;

a current distiibnter for coperation with ii'ection to the respective spark plugs, of an engine; rotatable means, for consecutive electrical association with said end terminals; means for rotating said rotatable means, and means for electrically energizing said rotatable means.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a longitudinally extending current conductor supporting member, ada-pted to be oscillated upon its support; a plurality of conductors therein terminating at one end thereof; the other end of said conductors spaced apart and projecting laterally from said supporting member, adapted for connection to the spark plugs respectively of an engine; rotatable means for consecutive electrical association with said end terminals; means for rotating said rotatable means; means for oscillating said member, and means for electrically energizing said rotatable means. y

4. A device of the" character described, comprising a longitudinally extending cui'- rent conductor supportingmember adapted to be oscillated upon its support; a plurality of conductors therein terminating at one end thereof; the other ends thereof spaced apart and projecting laterally from said srpporting member, adapted for connection' to the respective spark plugs of .in engine; rotatable means for consecutive electrical association with said end terminals; means for rotating said rotatable means; means for oscillating said supporting member; twosources of electric current for energizing said rotatable member and a switch controlling said sources of electric current to connect eithergeurrent source to said rotatable member.v

A device of the character described comprising a relatively long, oscillatable member; means for supporting said member, to permit rotative oscillation thereof; a plurality of current conductors extending -through said member and terminating at intervals; laterally projecting terminals connected to the inner ends of said conductors,

respectively, each adapted for connection 125 to aA spark plug; means to consecutively energize said, cQnductors to be moved in timeA relation therewith and with the power shaft of an engine with which thfe. device is to be associated and means to ritat'iv'ly'bsfoillfe said member to vary said time relation with reference to said conductors.

6.'A device of the character described comprising a relatively long oscillatable member; means for supportin said member to permit rotative oscillationqt ereof; a plurallty of conductors extendin partly through said member and terminatm at intervals; laterally projectin termina s, connected to the inner ends o said conductors, respectively, properly spaced apart, to adapt them for connection to spark plugs; rotatable means to consecutively energize said my hand and allxed my seal, this 7th day 2o of June, A. D. 1913.

' FRANK A. ZIKA. [rn-5.]

Witnesses: J No. G. ELLIOTT, MILDRED ELsNER.

Coplelof this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Intenta,

' Washington, D. G. 

